Washington, D.C. — As voters contemplate who will occupy the White House and Congress in the years ahead, Clean Energy States Alliance’s Offshore Wind Accelerator Project has partnered with The Center for the Next Generation, the Center for American Progress and several other organizations to release “Regional Energy, National Solutions,” a nonpartisan report that argues that the United States can enact a long-term strategy to achieve climate stability, economic prosperity, and energy security by using the unique assets of each region of the country and choosing smart places for investment in multiple forms of energy and fuel.

The report was launched this morning at an event where Rhode Island Gov. Linocln Chafee gave a keynote address about the importance of collaborative efforts to advance clean energy across the country. Chafee then participated in a panel discussion with John Arensmeyer of the Small Business Majority and Anne Kelly of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP).

"The key was that collaborative effort," Chafee said of his state's work planning for offshore wind. "We are very methodical in our approach to wind energy off our coasts. We know those finite [fossil fuel] resources will be going up in price at some point. So we in New England are looking at alternatives."

The new report responds to a recent vision laid out by the American Petroleum Institute, which suggested clean energy be put on the back burner in favor of aggressive oil and gas drilling, both on shore and off, and coal mining. In contrast, offshore wind is an ideal technology that could contribute substantially to the sustained, long-term energy demands of the Atlantic Coast states. Developing just 54 gigawatts of offshore wind in Atlantic waters would generate $200 billion in economic activity and create 43,000 permanent, well-paid technical jobs, in addition to displacing the annual output of 52 coal-fired power plants, according to the report.

“We know the earth is warming, and resources are finite, and as a country, we simply cannot take a ‘drill baby drill’ approach that keeps us dependent on finite and carbon-intensive resources for our electricity and transportation needs,” said Kate Gordon, director of the advanced energy and sustainability program at The Center for the Next Generation and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. “Whereas the plan set forth by the American Petroleum Institute relies on centralized energy sources controlled by a handful of companies, our alternative strategy presents a range of energy and restoration projects that involve a huge variety of companies—large and small—in every region of the country. This is a country rich in natural resources and innovative talent—we should build on that to move the United States toward a truly advanced and sustainable energy future."

"Atlantic offshore wind energy is America's golden opportunity to make our energy supply cleaner and protect future generations of people and wildlife from the dangers of climate change,"said Catherine Bowes, Senior Manager at the National Wildlife Federation, and an Offshore WInd Accelerator Project participant. "The best approach to our energy challenges isn't building more pipelines or digging more holes, it is embracing clean energy solutions that don't spill or explode. Properly-sited offshore wind energy can and must play a major role in America's energy future."

Among the report’s other region-specific findings:

• In the Gulf Coast region, each $1 million in investment in ecosystem restoration can create as many as 36 jobs across a huge range of occupations and skill levels—more than equivalent investments in traditional infrastructure projects.

• The Southeast boasts more firms across the high-tech smart-grid value chain than any other region and continuing to lead this transition offers the opportunity to create diverse job opportunities. At the same time, if the region were to cut energy use across the region by 16 percent in 2030, consumer would see an annual savings of $71 billion and 520,000 jobs by 2030.

• In addition to revitalizing American manufacturing, the deep oil savings from vehicles now being built in the Midwest under strong new fuel economy standards mean net savings to consumers of more than $54 billion a year in 2030 and will add 570,000 jobs to the economy.

• The Mountain West boasts nearly unlimited renewable energy resources and these nonhydro projects, either under construction or in advanced development, represent 71,872 jobs. A study by Headwaters Economics found that from 1970–2010, nonmetropolitan counties in the West that had more than 30 percent protected federal lands increased jobs by 345 percent. Nonmetropolitan counties with no protected federal lands saw just 83 percent growth.

• The solar industry in California has experienced significant growth over the past 15 years. Since 1995 the number of solar businesses grew by 171 percent, and total employment jumped by 166 percent. As a point of comparison, the total number of California businesses has grown by 70 percent and employment increased by 12 percent.

The promise of the clean economy is not a mirage or a far-off goal; it’s being felt right now across the country, employing about 3.1 million Americans. In the second quarter of 2012 alone, more than 37,000 new clean energy jobs were announced in projects across 30 states. Recognizing the critical need to enhance our energy security, the U.S. military has become a major proponent of clean technologies such as biofuels, efficiency, and solar, and the world’s largest investors agree that long-term climate change and clean energy policy is a tremendous investment opportunity.

About the Offshore Wind Accelerator Project: The Offshore Wind Accelerator Project (OWAP), managed by Clean Energy States Alliance, is a coalition of public, private and nonprofit stakeholders who are working together to break down barriers to offshore wind development in the United States. To learn more, visit www.offshorewindworks.org.

About Clean Energy States Alliance: Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is the only national nonprofit organization representing the collective voice of public clean energy funds. CESA provides information sharing, technical assistance services, and a collaborative network by coordinating multi-state efforts, leveraging funding for projects and research, and assisting clean energy programs with program development and evaluation. For more information, visit www.cleanenergystates.org.